Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Prefix and Suffix Match Up: Free Printable Game for Year 3
- ForYear 3
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Prefix and Suffix Match Up is a free printable English game for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). Children join each word to its meaning, using the prefixes un, mis, re and sub and the suffixes ous and ly. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children join each word to its meaning. The words use the prefixes un, mis, re and sub and the suffixes ous and ly. To make each match, children spot the root word and think about how the prefix or suffix changes the meaning. The sheet also has lines for writing, which children could use to jot down a root word or a note about a choice. A grown up can read the words aloud if needed.
How the match up builds word skills
Spot the root word
Children cover the prefix or suffix and say the word that is left. Finding the root first makes an unfamiliar word feel smaller and easier to read.
Notice what changes
Adding a prefix or suffix changes a word. Children think about whether the meaning has shifted or the word is being used in a different way.
Match with reasons
Joining a word to its meaning asks children to decide, not guess. Saying why a match fits builds careful thinking.
Say it aloud
Reading each word out loud helps children hear the parts. Hearing a prefix or suffix on its own helps with spelling as well as meaning.
Why learn about prefixes and suffixes?
A prefix is a group of letters added to the start of a word. A suffix is a group of letters added to the end. The word they join to is called the root word. Many English words are built from these parts, so spotting them helps children read, spell and work out words they have not met before.
In the National Curriculum for England, prefixes and suffixes are part of the spelling strand of English, and they support vocabulary too. Children who can break a long word into parts often feel braver when they meet new words in books. Short, regular practice helps these patterns stick.
Skills and curriculum link
- Prefixes
- Suffixes
- Word meaning
- Root words
- Careful reading
- Vocabulary
Ideas that help with prefixes and suffixes
- Prefixes go firstA prefix comes at the start of a word. It is added to a root word and can change its meaning.
- Suffixes go lastA suffix comes at the end of a word. It can change the meaning or how the word is used in a sentence.
- The root word staysThe root word is the main part. Cover the prefix or suffix and see what is left.
- Read the whole wordAfter joining the parts, say the new word aloud and check that it sounds like a real word and fits the meaning.
Key words
- PrefixA group of letters added to the start of a word.
- SuffixA group of letters added to the end of a word.
- Root wordThe main part of a word, before anything is added.
- MeaningWhat a word tells us or stands for.
- SpellingThe letters of a word written in the right order.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for the child. Keep page 2 for the grown up.
- Read each word aloud. Ask your child to cover the prefix or suffix and say the root word first.
- Work through the activity together the first time. Talk about each choice.
- Check your choices together using the notes on page 2.
- Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Do the prefix words first (un, mis, re, sub). Then try the suffix words (ous, ly). Read each word aloud, cover the prefix or suffix and say the root word. Take your time, and talk through one match together before going on.
To stretch confident children
Find three more words that start with un, mis, re or sub in a book. Write them down, circle the prefix and say the root word. Then use each new word in a sentence of your own.
Make it a game
Take turns to act out a word, such as quickly, while the other player guesses. When the word is guessed, say the root word and the suffix. Swap roles and try a new word each time.
Talk about it
- Which part of this word is the root word?
- What do you think the word means before you look at the choices?
- Does this word sound right when you say it aloud?
- How did you decide which meaning to join it to?
- Can you think of another word with the same prefix?
- Which word was the trickiest, and why?
Take it off the page
Word part cards
Write prefixes and suffixes on small pieces of paper, and root words on others. Mix them up, then pair them to make words and read each one aloud.
Book hunt
Choose a favourite book and look for words that begin with un, mis, re or sub, or end with ous or ly. Write down what you find.
Sentence swap
Pick a word from the sheet and say a sentence with it. Your partner says the root word and tells you how the word fits the sentence.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. Ask them to say the root word before they choose a match. Praise careful thinking, not speed, and come back to tricky words another day.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas, so it suits mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair it with books, everyday talk and spelling practice. Print it again for brothers and sisters or for revision a few weeks later. Hunt for prefixes and suffixes in the books you already have.
Where this fits in learning
Before this, children meet root words and add simple endings to them as they learn to spell. They come to see that words can be built from smaller parts.
After this, children meet more prefixes and suffixes in later years. They use word parts to work out unfamiliar words, to spell longer words and to choose precise vocabulary in their writing.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Prefix and Suffix Match Up for?
It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. Children in nearby year groups may enjoy it too, with more or less support from a grown up.
- What will children practise?
Children use the prefixes un, mis, re and sub and the suffixes ous and ly. They work out how these word parts change the meaning of a word, which supports Year 3 spelling and vocabulary.
- How do I use it?
Read each word aloud. Ask your child to cover the prefix or suffix and say the root word first. Work through it together the first time, talk about each choice and check using the notes on page 2.
- What if it feels too hard?
Do the prefix words first (un, mis, re, sub). Then try the suffix words (ous, ly). Read each word aloud and say the root word together. Come back to the sheet another day.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision, and black and white printing works well.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It is a screen free printable that needs only paper and a pencil. It works well for quiet time, rainy days, school holidays or a calm moment before bed.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.